Persistence: The difference between achieving and merely trying - Women's Agenda

Persistence: The difference between achieving and merely trying

Being the most successful person in the room is not about being the smartest or the best educated. It is not about who has the highest IQ or has been fortunate enough to be introduced to the right people.

Yes, all of the above can help. But often what really makes the difference is persistence.

Persistence means keeping on going when things get rough. Persistence means to keep giving it a go when at first you fail. It’s what you use to keep pushing through to become really great at something when others give it away.

Being prepared to persist is the difference between ‘near enough is good enough’ and excellence. It is the difference between achieving and merely trying. It is the difference between giving something a serious go and letting go of what’s possible before you even really get started.

Persistence builds character and capacity

When we achieve something easily we often don’t even recognise the milestone. But when we have fought for it, it seems worthwhile. We feel worthwhile. And the learning from the struggle is profound and lasting.

Most of the great discoveries of our world or the achievement of greatness have come from persistence. Thomas Edison took 1000 attempts to discover the answer to the electric light bulb. The Wright Brothers failed many times before they successfully took that famous first flight and Michael Jordan missed more than 9000 shots in his career to becoming one of the world’s greatest sportsmen.

To persist at anything is a choice. At any time we can choose to keep going, keep fighting, keep learning, keep finding ways to achieve OR we can choose to give up, say that we tried but failed or simply move on to something else that seems easier or more fun.

Persistence and leadership

Great leadership success takes persistence. To be a great leader is a life long journey. It takes dedication to learning, to growth, to improvement of skills. It takes persistence to complete projects, and deliver on strategy and the business vision. It requires a long-term commitment to coaching and mentoring your team to grow their skills and capabilities. And it takes strength of character to fight the urge to avoid the tasks that you dislike or you find hard to do, and to build your skills in the areas that don’t come so naturally to you.

Belief in you

More than anything, persistence is about belief; ‘belief in you’. Without belief that you are good enough, smart enough or worthy enough, it can be tempting to give up when things get hard, boring, challenging or painful. Belief gives you the drive to continue. For more on what it takes to believe in you, check out this article

And if you don’t have ‘belief in you’, seek to believe in the system: everyone from your mentor to your team, those who can push you on to achieve and keep going. When I first started out in my own business, I had a dream and big goals. But I originally didn’t have 100% belief that I had what it took to be in business, so I found a mentor and a system that I believed in. When my belief in me wavered, my mentor and the system propped me up until I developed belief in me.

The main thing to remember is that there is no overnight success. Success in any area of our life takes persistence and hard work. And without it you are only dreaming. Remember, persistence is a choice.

Do you have unwavering belief that you have what it takes achieve your goals? Are you demonstrating persistence and doing everything you can to achieve your goals?

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